2 New Suspects in the Hajj Quota Corruption Case to be Detained by the KPK

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has confirmed that two new suspects in the corruption case for determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 hajj in the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) will be immediately detained.

The two new suspects are Ismail Adhan as the Director of Operations of Maktour Travel and Asrul Azis Taba who is the former General Chairman of the Indonesian Union of Tour Travel Haji Umrah (Kesthuri).

"We will immediately (be detained, ed). ... so that this also becomes a part that we must immediately resolve in the investigation process for this Hajj quota case," said KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo to reporters at the KPK Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, quoted Wednesday, May 20.

Even so, Budi said investigators still needed to collect information from a number of witnesses to strengthen the actions of the two new suspects. So, Ismail and Asrul can be tried together with the former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and former staff, especially, Ishfah Abidal Azis.

"Of course, every statement from these witnesses will complete it and the investigators can also immediately complete the investigation file, so that we will immediately hand it over to the prosecution," said Budi.

"So when the JPU has completed the indictment file and the burden of the trial, the public can also scrutinize every fact of the trial in detail."

The KPK previously named two new suspects in the Hajj quota corruption case, namely Ismail Adhan as the Director of Operations of Maktour Travel and Asrul Azis Taba who is the former General Chairman of the Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Travel Association (Kesthuri). The two are suspected of plotting to get additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi government even giving money.

Ismail is said to have given money to Ishfah Abidal Azis, who is a former special staff of the Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas worth 30 thousand US dollars. Then, he gave money to Abdul Latief as the Director General of Haji and Umrah (Dirjen PHU) Ministry of Religion with details of 5,000 US dollars and 16,000 Saudi riyals.

This act then made Maktour obtain an illegal profit in 2024 worth Rp. 27.8 billion.

Meanwhile, Asrul is said to have given money worth 406 thousand US dollars. From this gift, eight special haj organizers (PIHK) under the auspices of Kesthuri received illegal profits of up to Rp. 40.8 billion.

The two are known to be suspects after the KPK first ensnared Yaqut and Ishfah. This suspected corruption began with the provision of 20,000 additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government to Indonesia in 2023-2024.